Chi-Pig
Encyclopedia
Chi-Pig was a New Wave
power trio
hailing from Akron, Ohio
. During the 1960s and 1970s, Susan Schmidt and Deborah Smith were active in several area bands, notably The Poor Girls, Cinderella's Revenge, and Friction. Around 1977, they teamed up with Richard Roberts to form Chi-Pig, taking their name from a local barbecue restaurant that sold both chicken and pork (whose sign featured a cartoon drawing of a pig with wings). The band was known for wearing flamboyant flamenco
-style Latin-American outfits, even though this had nothing to do with their musical style. Despite active participation in the local music scene and national interest in the Akron area due to the popularity of Devo
and Tin Huey
, Chi-Pig was unable to land a record deal, ultimately folding in 1982.
Chi-Pig members Susan Schmidt and Deborah Smith co-wrote the Devo song "Gates of Steel" with Gerald Casale
and Mark Mothersbaugh
.
Chi-Pig's music was made up of smart pop rock songs addressing the concerns of women living in a consumerist society with just a touch of humor on the side. Musically, Schmidt and Smith had developed a tight sound over their many years of playing together. Unfortunately, the band fell apart just as other female led groups such as The Go-Go's
and The Pretenders
were breaking out.
In 2004, the band finally released their album, Miami, consisting of material recorded in 1979.
In 2005, the band appeared in the PBS documentary
, If You're Not Dead, Play
, which detailed the Akron Sound that sprung out of the Ohioan punk rock
and new wave scene in the second wave during the 1980s.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
hailing from Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. During the 1960s and 1970s, Susan Schmidt and Deborah Smith were active in several area bands, notably The Poor Girls, Cinderella's Revenge, and Friction. Around 1977, they teamed up with Richard Roberts to form Chi-Pig, taking their name from a local barbecue restaurant that sold both chicken and pork (whose sign featured a cartoon drawing of a pig with wings). The band was known for wearing flamboyant flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
-style Latin-American outfits, even though this had nothing to do with their musical style. Despite active participation in the local music scene and national interest in the Akron area due to the popularity of Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
and Tin Huey
Tin Huey
Tin Huey is an experimental rock and New Wave band from Akron, Ohio that formed in the mid/late 1970s.-Original lineups:The band was originally known as Rags and started out with three members: Mark Price, Michael Aylward, and Stuart Austin. Later, the band decided to rename themselves after...
, Chi-Pig was unable to land a record deal, ultimately folding in 1982.
Chi-Pig members Susan Schmidt and Deborah Smith co-wrote the Devo song "Gates of Steel" with Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
and Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
.
Chi-Pig's music was made up of smart pop rock songs addressing the concerns of women living in a consumerist society with just a touch of humor on the side. Musically, Schmidt and Smith had developed a tight sound over their many years of playing together. Unfortunately, the band fell apart just as other female led groups such as The Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
and The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
were breaking out.
In 2004, the band finally released their album, Miami, consisting of material recorded in 1979.
In 2005, the band appeared in the PBS documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
, If You're Not Dead, Play
If You're Not Dead, Play
If You're Not Dead, Play is a 2005 PBS rock music documentary that's a Western Reserve Public Media/ PBS production and the sequel of It's Everything, And Then It's Gone...
, which detailed the Akron Sound that sprung out of the Ohioan punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and new wave scene in the second wave during the 1980s.
Members
- Richard Roberts - drums, vocals
- Susan Schmidt - guitar, keyboard, vocals
- Deborah Smith - bass, vocals